WarYoga

Perhaps the most striking is the strict dualism at the heart of Iranian religion. Even prior to Zarathustra, a Cosmic struggle between light and dark delineated bounds of acceptable conduct, reflecting a radically moral understanding of the universe and man's place at the heart of a holy war.

The zurxāne (also spelled "zurkhaneh") serves as an acutely physical expression of this spiritual ethos. Like the Indian akharas, these Houses of Strength engender a profoundly heroic quality in the training and conduct of their adherents.

Pahlavānān train and fight as a means of reflecting outwardly the inner conflict pitting one's higher self against a lower, Ahrimanic impulse. Their external victories mirror internal triumphs necessary to become a renowned warrior of both material and spiritual dimensions.

Master WarYogin Tom Billinge has again immersed himself in the subject matter of his work, becoming a Western steward of this ancient Indo-European tradition by testing himself in the zurxāne system of today.